Sunday, March 04, 2012

Toque!

Français plus bas

My love for knitwear done with basic stitches continues. Here's a hat to replace my last Sea Urchin II. At this point it's fair to say that my winter accessories are destined to be forgotten on a metro bench.

For this project, I wanted a simple hat with a deep cuff. I don't know where the idea of making it with a garter st came from but combining it with a 1x1 rib has given a great result.

I wasn't planning on making a pattern but I figured there must be someone out there with a big head and big hair for whom what's available is usually too small. That is why I didn't provide instructions for smaller sizes.

The hat measures 55 cm/22" and my head, dreads included, measures 63 cm/25". It is also made from the top down.

Yarn

1 skein Cascade Yarns Eco+ (I used
about half of it so about 220 m/239 yards of bulky weight yarn)

Materials

1 set of 4 double pointed needles

1
40 cm/16" circular needle 5.5mm (or longer like I did but using the magic loop technique)

7 stitch markers plus 1 more in a
contrasting colour to mark the beginning of the round

1 tapestry needle

Gauge

19 sts = 10 cm/4" in stockinette
stitch

Abbreviations :

** : Repeat the instructions
between the asterisks until the end of the round

DPN : Double pointed needle

K: Knit

K1fb : Knit in front and back of
the stitch

M1 : Make one stitch knitwise

P: Purl

St : Stitch

1X1 rib : K1, P1

Note

You will begin making this hat with the
DPNs. You decide when you want to start working with the circular
needle

Instructions

Using the Eastern (aka Turkish) cast on method and
the DPNs, cast on 8 stitch. Place the st marker to mark the beginning
of the round, knit one round, purl the next one. Next round, k1fb on
each st, you now have 16 sts Distribute the sts evenly over four DPNs. Purl the next round. Continue with the
increases as fallows :

Round 1 : *K2, place a stitch
marker*

R2 : Purl

R3 : *K until the st marker, M1,
slip the st marker*

R4 : Purl

Repeat R3 and 4 until you have a total
of 104 sts, remove the st markers except the one that marks the beginning of the round. Then continue
working alternating k and purl rows until the hat measures 16cm/5"
from the beginning (or you can try it on as you go, when you're about an
inch from your eyebrows, start the rib). You will notice a "seam" along the hat, that is where you've switched sts.

Continue in a 1X1 rib until
hat measures 11" from the beginning. Again you can try it on with the cuff folded and
stop knitting when you like the length. The rib is meant to start for about an inch/2.5 cm inside the hat before folding out, with the fold on thhe eyebrows (for those deep winter cold snaps)

For the bind off you can either do a
sewn bind off (I have a link in my How To menu) or you can do the surprisingly stretchy bind off. Weave
in the threads.